Established in 2006 Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) researchers are investigating a strategy that may help “turn off ” the harmful immune attack that occurs during autoimmune diseases such Research Expenditures by as multiple sclerosis (MS), while leaving healthy functions of the immune system intact. Sponsor in 2015-2016: BIOE Assistant Professor Christopher Jewell andNational Institute of Standards and members of the Jewell Research Lab are working withTechnology specially designed polymer particles they hope will reprogram how the immune system responds to self- $2.59 million cells in the central nervous system (CNS) during MS.National Science Foundation In MS, the immune system incorrectly recognizes $2.13 million components of the CNS, causing inflammation andNational Institutes of Health destruction of myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve fibers.When this happens, nerve fibers and cells are damaged, leading to loss $1.66 million of motor function and other complications.Non-profit & Individual Gifts Current therapies for MS broadly decrease the activity of the immune system, but at a cost as $1.64 million they leave MS patients vulnerable to infection. In searching for a way to decrease the harmfulDepartment of Defense aspects of the immune system without eliminating the immune system’s helpful functions, Jewell and his team are working to re-train the immune system not to attack myelin $1.49 million components by generating specialized regulatory immune cells.The team is using degradableDesignated Research Initiative Fund polymer particles incorporating regulatory signals to promote these cell populations.

$727,000 To test this strategy, the group is harnessing two models of MS: one mimicking aspects ofFood and Drug Administration relapsing-remitting MS – which most patients initially present with – and a second model that mimics aspects of progressive disease, the stage with particularly limited treatment options.The $647,000 studies will track the impacts on disease course, immune activity, tissue damage, and safety.State They will also determine how specific the response is to see whether the ability to fight off other infections is retained. $440,000Industry To support this exciting work, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has awarded the group a three-year, $599,000 research grant. $299,000U.S. Department of Agriculture JAY LAB WORKS TOWARD ENGINEERING EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES AS $153,000 NEXT-GENERATION BIOTHERAPEUTICSTOTAL: $11.78 MILLION Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) Assistant Professor Steven Jay was named awww.bioe.umd.edu 2015 recipient of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award for his research relating to extracellular vesicle-based drug delivery and therapeutic development.

Jay and members of his Vascular Pharmacoengineering and Biotherapeutics Laboratory are building on their recent studies of how extracellular vesicles (EVs) – ubiquitous, biologically-generated nanovesicles including exosomes and other types that naturally transfer nucleic acids between cells – could be used to deliver DNA and various types of RNA for genetic therapies.

In their recent Molecular Pharmaceutics paper, Jay, along with Assistant Research Professor Tek Lamichhane and biochemistry undergraduate Rahul Raiker, describe how the identification of EVs as natural carriers of small nucleic acids has sparked interest in their use for RNA interference therapies. Jay’s research group worked to extend the therapeutic potential of EVs for the first time to the delivery of DNA to recipient cells towards gene therapy applications.Their findings establish critical parameters for the potential use of EVs for gene therapy while highlighting the substantial barriers that must

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still be overcome by bioengineers to establish EVs as broadly applicable DNA delivery vehicles.

To take this research further, Jay and his team are applying funding from the Ralph Powe award to investigate new methods for exploiting EV-based microRNA delivery, which has the potential to treat or cure numerous conditions such as cancer and peripheral vascular disease.

The promise of microRNAs (miRNAs) as therapeutic regulators of gene expression and cellular function is well established; however, clinicaltranslation of miRNA-based therapies has been limited by insufficient and ineffective delivery approaches. EVs, as natural miRNA carriers, arepromising candidate vehicles for controlled delivery of miRNAs. However, loading miRNAs into EVs is typically inefficient and potentiallydestructive. Jay’s lab is currently pursuing new methods that allow for increased efficiency of miRNA loading without significant loss ofbioactivity. Additionally, clinical translation of EV-based miRNA therapeutics will require improved methods of EV bioproduction andpurification. BIOE graduate students Anjana Jeyaram and Divya Patel are working with Jay to identify the best and most efficient ways togenerate and isolate EVs with maximal therapeutic bioactivity from cell cultures.

Overall, these approaches are aimed at creating a pathway towards large-scale biomanufacturing of therapeutic EVs for widespread therapeuticapplications that could benefit millions of patients worldwide.

Assistant Professors Christopher Jewell and Steven Jay wereboth named 2016 Young Innovators of Cellular and MolecularBioengineering, making the University of Maryland the onlyinstitution to have two researchers named to the list this year.

For decades, scientists have worked to target therapeutics to specific which serves as a targetingmarkers within the body in efforts to improve delivery of medication entity.This targeting coatingto the target site while avoiding interaction with healthy tissue. But, is designed to recognize athe corrosive environment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has long specific marker in the body,prevented scientists from pursuing methods of oral drug delivery that bringing the drug to theemploy what are known as targeted nanocarriers – nanomaterial that site of disease; however, inis used to transport another substance, such as a therapeutic – to reach oral delivery, the biologicalcertain organs or cells while steering clear of others. coating gets degraded in the stomach and the targetingRecognizing this challenge, Fischell Department of Bioengineering property of the drug nano-(BIOE) Associate Professor Silvia Muro and a team of University of carrier is lost.This is whyMaryland researchers are exploring new drug delivery strategies that scientists have not focusedcould be used to deliver therapeutics to targets in the GI tract, as on targeting strategies forwell as targets inside GI cells or across the GI tract for circulation in the oral delivery.”bloodstream. But, Muro and her team areScientists have long used targeted nanocarriers in intravenous therapy hopeful they have found atreatments. Put simply, a targeted nanocarrier features a biological solution - they have placedmolecule that serves as a targeting molecule that is “programmed” to targeted nanocarriers intorecognize a marker.As such, scientists are able to deliver therapeutics microcapsules, specially designed to survive the harsh environment ofto site-specific targets without causing harm to healthy organs or cells. the stomach.This specificity is crucial: in chemotherapy treatment, for example, theuse of targeted nanocarriers allows doctors to attack tumor cells while To illustrate this new concept – highlighted earlier this year as theminimizing the risk of chemotherapy’s toxicity to healthy cells in the cover story in Advanced Functional Materials – the team used microcapsulesbody. made of a chitosan shell and alginate core. Once these microcapsules bypass the stomach, they disintegrate in the intestines, thereby liberatingBut, when scientists explore treatment options for diseases of the gut the targeted nanocarriers there and allowing them to bind to specific– such as Crohn’s disease or a variety of inflammatory diseases – they disease markers.face limitations. In part, this is because doctors aiming to targetnanocarriers to sites in or across the GI tract have been limited to “This approach enables the use of targeted nanocarriers for oralusing IV therapies. delivery,” Muro said.“This opens an opportunity to investigate whether targeting drugs to specific intestinal markers improves intestinal delivery“Typically, drug delivery technologies involve fabrication of a of therapeutics and their uptake into the circulation.”nanocarrier that bears a pharmaceutical drug of interest,” Muroexplained.“The nanocarrier is then coated with a biological molecule, Cover in Advanced Functional Materials, 26(20) 2016

Researchers have long proposed the use of biodegradable mats of Recognizing this, Kofinas and his research team propose the use ofpolymer nanofibers that are sticky and strong enough to replace the a sealant composed of unique polymer blends that can be appliedneed for surgical sutures. But, scientists have since struggled to develop through solution blow spinning. In this way, Kofinas and his team arean effective technique for applying these mats to living cells or tissues. able to use an extremely portable and low-cost method to deposit polymer fibers onto tissue and irregular surfaces.Additionally, surgeons face another roadblock: traditional suturingtechniques do not suffice in a variety of cases, such as those involving This technology requires only a concentrated polymer solution, airbrush,lung punctures or cuts to the intestine. and compressed gas source, allowing it to be easily miniaturized into a portable sprayer using small CO2 cartridges. In fact, solution blowTo combat these challenges, Fischell Department of Bioengineering spinning is such a simple and transferable technique that bioengineers(BIOE) Professor and Associate Dean Peter Kofinas embarked on a have successfully used commercial airbrushes—such as those typicallymission, along with BIOE alumni Brendan Casey (Ph.D. ’10) and used for painting—to generate nanofibers.Adam Behrens (Ph.D. ’15), Dr.Anthony Sandler of Children’s NationalMedical Center, and a team of University of Maryland researchers. Because solution blow spinning can be used to fabricate nanofiber matsTogether, the group launched efforts to develop a surgical sealant and and meshes for precise and site-specific reconstruction in minutes, thesurgery application technique capable of reducing both risks and costs technique could prove extremely useful in surgeries requiring the useassociated with a wide variety of surgical procedures. of a hemostatic material or sealant.Additionally, this proposed technique is especially useful for instances in which conventional suturing mayKofinas was named the recipient of a four-year, $1.5 million National not be adequate, such as in cases of liver or lung resections.And, theInstitutes of Health (NIH) Research Project Grant (R01) for his work application technique could prove invaluable to first responders to accident scenes involving significant injuries.The work of Kofinas and on the project. his research team aims to correlate material properties and deposition conditions to in vitro and in vivo efficacy, and will lead to greater Today, nearly all surgical interventions insight into the development of effective surgical materials.Additionally, and traumatic injuries require the research focuses on improvement of material properties and the some form of tissue reconstruction development of advanced deposition methods that allow for direct or closure of incisions or wounds. Most nanofiber generation and application on any surface. often, surgeons rely on conventional suturing and tissue stapling, but these On top of the benefits of the low-cost, portable application technique, techniques often require a multi-step the sealant itself is biocompatible and degradable, Kofinas said. As preparation process and carry a number of such, he and his fellow researchers are continuing their work towards limitations and complications. Some of today’s achieving optimal adhesive strength, material strength, and nanofiber most frequently used sealants pose risks of generation for use as a surgical sealant. disease transmission or toxicity issues, while others have contributed to excessive swelling resulting in injury to neighboring nerves or tissue.

THE FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING IS HOME TO 18 TENUREAND TENURE-TRACK FACULTY, WITH 8 NSF/NIH EARLY CAREER AWARDWINNERS AND 7 FELLOWS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES.

On Thursday, May 19, President Barack Obama awarded University of Maryland Physics alumnus and Fischell Department of Bioengineering namesake Robert E. Fischell the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI).This award marks the highest honor for technological achievement bestowed by the president of the United States.

Fischell was just one of eight individuals awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation this year. Fischell (M.S. ’53, Hon. Sc.D. ’96) is known for inventing life-saving medical devices, and pioneering the modern era of space satellites. He holds more than 200 patents, including nearly 30 patents on orbiting spacecraft. In the medical device realm, Fischell has served as a leading contributor to the invention of coronary stents, the implantable heart defibrillator, the implantable insulin pump, a device to prevent migraine headaches, and a device to prevent death from heart attacks.

First 3D Bioprinted Placenta Model Photo by John T. Consoli/University of Marylandfor Study of Preeclampsia Created

Scientists at the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovationat Children’s National Health System, in partnership with the Universityof Maryland, are the first to create a 3D bioprinted placenta model anduse it to study preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication.

Bioprinting is the three-dimensional printing of biological tissue andorgans through the layering of living cells, with cell function andviability preserved within the printed structure. Because the institute’sbioprinted placenta model mimics the organ’s complex cellular structure,the model creates unprecedented opportunities to understand anddevelop new treatments for life-threatening maternal conditions involvingthe placenta.The study of the 3D bioprinted model is published inAmerican Chemical Society (ACS) Biomaterials Science & Engineering.

In their published report, BIOE Fischell Family Distinguished Professorand Chair John Fisher, BIOE researcher Che-Ying Kuo, and the teamused the bioprinted model to observe the migration of special cells inthe placenta called trophoblasts, which attach to the uterine wall andthen proceed to invade the tissues of the uterus during the first stage ofpregnancy.These trophoblasts eventually reach deep into the wall andconnect with the mother’s blood vessels, which is a vital stage in theestablishment of pregnancy as the placenta takes on its role ofnourishing the fetus.

BIOE Assistant Professor Giuliano Scarcelli and a team of researchers properties change as a symptom of disease in the body or as part offrom Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts normal biological functions, such as when wounds heal.General Hospital have developed a label-free, optical microscopytechnique capable of shedding new light on how the mechanical Traditionally, techniques used to study the mechanical properties ofproperties of cells change in the course of aging, injury healing, and cells have either required contact with cells or have produced imagesdisease pathogenesis. with limited resolution.As a result, information on the biomechanical properties of cells in 3D environments is lacking.The technique offers promise that one day researchers will be able toidentify a more exact starting point for the development of cancers, To address this, Scarcelli and six researchers have introduced a techniquecoronary disease, or even osteoporosis. known as Brillouin optical cell microscopy for noninvasive, 3D mapping of intracellular and extracellular hydro-mechanical properties.“Using light, we can measure cells inside tissue and we can look inside Their technique – published this year in Nature Methods – employsthe cells to distinguish, for example, the properties of the nucleus and Brillouin light scattering, a process that occurs when light interactscytoplasm,” Scarcelli said. with density fluctuations in a medium.These spontaneous fluctuations are driven by collective acoustic vibrational modes, known as phonons,In order to better understand how such diseases develop – and in in the gigahertz frequency range. In this way, Brillouin microscopyefforts to learn more about factors that influence everyday biological yields invaluable information on the viscoelastic characteristics offunctions – researchers need to get a clearer look at how properties of cells – and does so at a microscopic resolution no other technique cana cell change over time. match.

Every cell contains a cytoplasm – the thick solution enclosed within As such, Brillouin microscopy opens up new research avenues for thethe cell by the cell membrane. Primarily composed of water, salts, and biomechanical investigation of cells and their microenvironment inproteins, the cytoplasm is where most cellular activities occur. Even 3D at subcellular resolution.more, the cytoplasm serves as a means of transport for genetic materialand acts as a buffer, protecting the cell’s genetic material from damage Continuing in collaboration with Dr. Roger Kamm at MIT, thedue to movement or collision with other cells. research team is now taking advantage of the unique capabilities of Brillouin microscopy to look at a crucial property of metastatic cellsFor years, researchers have known that the interaction between – their ability to modulate their internal mechanical properties tothe liquid and solid phases within the cytoplasm plays a prominent enter and exit blood vessels to colonize distant sites.The team’s effortsrole in how cells deform and move.As such, the ability to map the recently earned them a five-year, $3 million National Institutes ofhydro-mechanical properties of cells – such as viscoelasticity and Health grant to study tumor cell extravasation.compressibility – is critical to advancing understanding of how cell

Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) researchers have such as electrons and protons,” the group noted in Nature Communications.merged living cells with nanotechnology to develop an integratedmolecular processing network that sheds light on how bioengineers Put simply, cells serve a crucial role as conveyors of molecularmight further bridge the communication gap between biology and communication between biological systems, such as the gastrointestinalelectronic microfabricated devices. tract, and microdevices, such as stents.

In their Nature Communications paper published last fall, members of Building on this, Bentley’s research team developed a system in whichUniversity Distinguished Professor and Director of the Robert E. a small network of surveyor cells collectively gathers informationFischell Institute for Biomedical Devices William Bentley’s research about the environment in which they live.Then, when they detect agroup addressed a question bioengineers have long contended with: target signal molecule, they synthesize “reporter” proteins onto theirhow can scientists more effectively tap into the wealth of information outer surface. One of the proteins is a fluorescent protein, the otherthat exists at the molecular level? facilitates binding to magnetic nanoparticles. In this way, these surveyor cells can be introduced to a particular biological niche and can thenAdvances in nanotechnology have provided bioengineers new ways be collected with a magnet where their fluorescence will indicate theto sample molecular space, but living cells have the capability to take concentration of the analyte molecule they were engineered to find.things a step further in that they can identify molecules within complexenvironments and trigger functions. Eventually, this will enable “smart” bacteria that seek out pathogens or wounds that are revealed by molecule markers they emit.When theWhen appropriately accessed, molecular information can provide “smart bacteria” encounter pathogens or wounds, they synthesize andbioengineers with invaluable feedback on biological systems, their deliver a therapeutic at the right spot and the right time, and in thecomponents, and their functions. correct dose to counter the problem.

To access this information, bioengineers have long worked to develop Bentley’s team consists of BIOE/Institute for Bioscience andnano- to micro-scaled tools that engage with biological systems Biotechnology Research colleague Professor Gregory Payne, as well asthrough monitoring and interacting at the molecular level. One such collaborators Dr. John March (Associate Professor, Cornell University)tool is synthetic biology, through which engineers “rewire” cells to and Dr. Matthew Chang (Associate Professor, National Universitysurvey molecular space – a feat that is possible because cells have of Singapore) and their research groups.The team’s work is fundedsophisticated capabilities to recognize, amplify, and transduce chemical primarily by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).information. BIOE Ph.D. student Jessica Terrell, a member of Bentley’s Biomolecular and Metabolic Engineering Laboratories, served as lead author of theCells also “present a potential interface between chemically based Nature Communications paper.biomolecular processing and conventional vectors of information flow,

STROKA LAB WORKS TO ADVANCE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH

A healthy blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain with the support the interactions between metastatic breast tumor cells, the BBB, andof nearby neural cells; however, BBB dysfunction occurs in many neural cells neighboring the BBB.diseases. For example, during metastasis in vivo, breast tumor cells crossthe BBB prior to forming secondary tumors in the brain – and, this Similarly, BIOE Ph.D. student Kelsey Gray is working with the Strokaprocess likely involves BBB dysfunction. Lab to investigate the mechanobiological response of human brain endothelium. Limitations hindering in vivo BBB studies – such asRecognizing this, BIOE Ph.D. student Marina Shumakovich is working availability – have driven the need for in vitro models to enablewith Assistant Professor Kimberly Stroka’s (Ph.D. ’11) Cell and detailed mechanistic studies of BBB dysfunction. BBB models requireMicroenvironment Engineering Lab to investigate whether specific the use of tight junction (TJ) expressing brain endothelial cells (ECs),biochemical and physical cues from the BBB microenvironment affect but most brain EC sources lose the BBB phenotype, or propagate speciestumor cell migration, mechanobiology, and metastasis.Their goal is differences. As such, the Stroka Lab is exploring a mechanobiologicalto engineer in vitro microfluidic systems to model and understand approach to address this challenge.

21 STATE-OF-THE-ART LABS “Our overall goal is to develop an on-chip model of the blood-brain barrier that can be used to study breast tumor cell metastasis into theincluding Immune and Autoimmune brain,” Stroka said, noting that breast cancer is one type of cancer thatEngineering, Tissue Engineering and frequently metastasizes to the brain and is especially hard to treat onceBiomaterials, Control of Miniaturized it gets there.Systems, and Biophotonic Imaging. Both Shumakovich and Gray presented their research at the 19th International Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers Symposium in Copenhagen.

Demonstrating the myriad ways in which bioengineers are transforming By using a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating element,human health innovation, the Fischell Department of Bioengineering temperature sensor, and camera module, this Capstone group designed(BIOE) 2016 Senior Capstone class exhibited a total of 20 novel concepts and developed a cheap and effective thermal cycler.This device isduring the Capstone II finale on May 11, 2016. smaller, more portable, and much cheaper than existing PCR machines. In order to reduce the technical expertise required to function in suchThe 2016 Capstone Design Competition marked the biggest yet, as settings, where refrigeration and transportation of samples to laboratories98 students pitched their products to a panel of esteemed judges, as are also challenges, the Capstone group aimed to implement real-timewell as to BIOE faculty and fellow students.Two teams tied for first amplification measurement capabilities, allowing the device to functionplace, and were recognized for their efforts to address the needs of as a temporary point-of-care diagnostic device.underserved populations. The second group focused their efforts on developing a fear mitigationThe first group developed a concept for a portable polymerase chain device for pediatric MRI.reaction (PCR) machine aimed to bring the clinical uses of PCR toan accessible level for underserved patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a painless bioimaging modality that utilizes large magnetic fields and radio pulses in order to visualizePolymerase chain reaction is a process by which nucleic acid becomes structures within the human body. However, MRI machines areamplified via repetitive heating and cooling cycles. Using primers, daunting, large, make loud sounds, and can be extremely distressing tofree nucleotides, and temperature cycling, it enables small nucleic acid patients, especially children.A large subset of pediatric patients have tofragments to become amplified by a factor of hundreds of millions. be sedated in order to endure this non­invasive procedure. RecognizingPCR for the detection of specific DNA or RNA sequences is used this, the Capstone group developed a tri­modal, immersive, fearfor clinical diagnosis of several diseases. Currently, the cost - which mitigating device that combines a mobile device application with aranges from a few thousand to tens of thousands of U.S. dollars - and stereoscopic static image and a projector mirror system.This devicepower requirements for the average PCR machines on the market works to effectively navigate a pediatric patient from hallway to hallwayrender their use unfeasible in clinically underserved areas and developing through the MRI machine, and eliminates the need for sedation.countries, where PCR is often necessary for making diagnoses.

Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) undergraduate Adam Berger, was awarded a scholarship by theBarry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, which encourages students to pursueadvanced study and careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Berger was among the 252 Barry GoldwaterScholars selected from 1,150 students nominated nationally this year.

Berger, a member of the Gemstone Honors Program and the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society, is interested increating novel lab-on-a-chip biosensors that enable point-of-care disease detection and diagnosis.This past February,Berger presented findings on the use of Raman spectroscopy to monitor wound healing in members of the militaryat the SPIE Photonics West conference. He conducted this research over the past three summers with Dr. NicoleCrane in the Regenerative Medicine Department at the Naval Medical Research Center.

Back on campus, Berger and his Gemstone team are biochemically modifying small-diameter vascular grafts made of silk scaffolds to enhancethe grafts’ biocompatibility and mechanical strength. Berger, who works in BIOE Associate Professor Ian White’s lab, is also investigating methodsfor using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect THC, the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects,in saliva. In addition, Berger is testing paper-based SERS biosensors for antibiotic detection, a topic on which he co-authored a book chapter.

UMD IGEM TEAM EARNS SECOND CONSECUTIVE GOLD MEDAL IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

The University of Maryland celebrated a second consecutive gold-medal performance at the International Genetically Engineered Machine(iGEM) competition. Composed of 16 students from a variety of disciplines including bioengineering (BIOE), computer science, neurobiology,and biochemistry, as well as faculty advisors Drs. Edward Eisenstein (BIOE, Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research) and JasonKahn (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry), the team traveled to Boston in fall of 2015 to compete and collaborate with 250 teams fromaround the world in what is known as the iGEM Jamboree.

The University of Maryland team earned its gold medal for creating an innovative approach to accelerate the construction of new biodesigns.The team’s method for plasmid maintenance without the use of antibiotics involved the construction of an inexpensive thermocycler usingparts from a hair dryer.The team developed the project, performed laboratory research over the summer months, conducted an extensive studyof human practices related to the project, developed a Wiki page announcing the project, and raised more than $25,500 for laboratory suppliesand travel costs. In addition to earning a gold medal, the team earned one of five nominations for “Best New Application.”

Photo by Thai Nguyen/University of Maryland

THE FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, and the 13th anniversary of the establishment of theUniversity of Maryland’s graduate program of bioengineering in 2003. Since then, the number of participating bioengineering graduate programfaculty members has grown from fewer than ten to more than 85 today, including several from institutions beyond the College Park campus.Propelled by the leadership of the department’s founding chair, Dr.William Bentley, the department has expanded to comprise the graduateprogram, two Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Centers, and an innovative undergraduate program supporting more than 420 undergraduatestudents.Today, Bentley serves as the inaugural director of the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, to be housed in A. JamesClark Hall, along with the department, in 2017.The department welcomed alumni, students, industry partners, community leaders, and University of Maryland faculty and staff to celebrate thedepartment’s milestone in spring 2016. Guests included (pictured above) A. James Clark School of Engineering Dean and Nariman FarvardinProfessor of Engineering Darryll Pines, Distinguished University Professor and founding chair William Bentley, Fischell Family DistinguishedProfessor and Chair John Fisher, Dr. Robert E. Fischell and the Fischell family, and University of Maryland President Wallace Loh.

A. James Clark Hall will spur the development of transformative engineering and biomedical technologiesto advance human health. When it opens next year, the 184,000-square-foot facility will serve as the flagshipof University of Maryland bioengineering and a hub for new partnerships and collaborations throughoutthe capital region. Made possible by leadership gifts from renowned builder A. James Clark and biomedicalpioneer Robert E. Fischell, the building will offer flexible classrooms, collaborative student project space, andstate-of-the-art laboratories.

Three floors will be occupied by the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, home to the university’sfastest-growing undergraduate degree program, and the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices,dedicated to the research and development of new technologies to promote human health.

A dedicated Instructional Lab will house top-notch equipment in a broad range of applications, includingprotein and DNA sequencing, mass and optical spectrometry, and gas and liquid-column chromatography.In the Imaging Suite, laser and MRI devices will allow a close examination of the body and brain - and evenviews into the molecular structure of viruses and bacteria. A bioengineering computational lab will giveMaryland engineering students and researchers unprecedented modeling and computing power for geneexpression analysis, pathogen detection, and other critical tasks.

The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices will occupy more than 150,000 square feet of laboratoryand research space. Technologies developed here will be translated into clinical environments around theworld.

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University ofMaryland is the home of an emerging academic discipline, excitinginterdisciplinary degree programs, and faculty and students whowant to make a difference in human healthcare through education,research and invention.

For more information about the department, please visit:www.bioe.umd.edu

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FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING BY THE NUMBERS:

$11.78M in Research Expenditures in 2015-16 18 Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty1.5x Year-over-year Increase in Research 12 Invention Disclosures Filed in 2015-16 8 NSF/NIH Early Career Award Fellows Awards Dollars from 2015 to 2016 7 Fellows of Professional Societies in 2015-16 7 NSF Graduate Fellows in 2015-16$667,000 Avg. Research Expenditures per #1 in Big Ten in Bioengineering B.S. Degrees

Faculty Member Awarded to Women

38,000 Square Feet of New Department <1 Year until A. James Clark Hall Opens to

Space with Opening of A. James Clark Hall Become New Home of Bioengineering